Suzuki motors on with Asean Football Championship

Japanese automotive manufacturer Suzuki has retained naming rights to the Asean Football Championship national team tournament, the 2016 edition of which will begin on November 19.

Suzuki reached the agreement with the Asean Football Federation, which governs the sport in southeast Asia. Under the agreement, the tournament will continue to be officially known as the AFF Suzuki Cup.

This year’s edition of the biennial tournament will take place in Myanmar and the Philippines from November 19 to December 17. It will mark Suzuki’s fifth event as naming rights partner.

“The AFF Suzuki Cup has flourished since we took over as title sponsor in 2008 and we are pleased to renew our association with such a wonderful tournament that captivates millions of football fans throughout the Asean region,” Kinji Saito, Suzuki’s managing officer, said.

Thailand is the defending AFF Suzuki Cup champion, having defeated Malaysia over a two-legged final during the 2014 event, which was co-hosted by Singapore and Vietnam.